#HappyInIndia: Here are 69 Things That Make us Happy on 69 I Day
Day after tomorrow India turns 68. And we list out things that make us #HappyInIndia
advertisement
Day after tomorrow India turns 68. We at The Quint ask you what makes you #HappyInIndia? Is it garam garam chai or a Patiala peg? Mithai or street food?
Meanwhile, read The Quint’s third instalment of the 69 things that make us #HappyInIndia.
#43 Makkhan and Tippani
Amul print advertisements are still the coolest, and continue to entertain us. In her polka-dotted dress, the cute Amul girl at her wittiest best gives it off to politicians, Bollywood biggies, business tycoons and the aam aadami. She is our Amul-ya-ratan!
#44 Mozart of Madras
Rahman Tujhe Salaam! During the 1990s AR Rahman rejigged the music scene with his blockbuster hits Rangeela, Roja, Bombay, and Dil Se. The Mozart of Madras went on to win the Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire. Jai Ho!
#43 Yoga All the Way
India stretched and flexed its muscles and made it to the international calendar by introducing Yoga Day. While India might be following the usual Baba Ramdev’s Tadasana, Urdhva Hastansana and Surya Namakar, the world has taken Yoga to the next funky level. And no, we’re not just talking Hot Yoga, but Nude Yoga, Doga (Yoga for dogs), Snowga (Yoga in snow) and whatnot.
#46 Oodi Baba
We are the land of Babas and Black Sheep, of Godmen and Sadhvis. From Sadhvi Prachi to Asaram Bapu, from Sant MSG to Sarathi Baba to Radha Maa these self-styled godmen or conmen have taken the country by storm. We are happy that this is the year of unmasking these self-styled god people.
#47 Comedy Club
RK Laxman’s illustrious and hapless Common Man, gently scathing about everything from the social to the political, was loved by all Bharatwasis. The comedy group AIB with their unconventional humour keeps that tradition alive, using an all-new idiom. They make us laugh, even as they drive home some pretty strong messages.
#48 Maggi??
Once upon a time, Maggi noodles filled hungry stomachs during desperate times. But now, Maggi has made a swift exit from supermarket racks. Thanks to the thick soup of controversies it’s got itself swirled in. Koi lauta de voh do minute wale din…
#49 Right to Information
Too few countries have it, and it makes us proud that we’re one of those few. If only they stopped killing RTI activists!
#50 Apna Street Food!
We’ve got street food for every season. You name it and we’ve got it. And from every corner. In monsoon we bite into garam garam samosas and pakoras. In winters drool into some steamy hot momos. In summers we dive straight into refreshing dahi chaat and gol gappas. The Indian Health advisory Board could take a chill pill when it comes to scrumptious, lip-smacking street food.
#51 Horn OK Tata Please
Indians have a patent over two kinds of Tatas. One is the ‘Horn-OK-TATA-Bye’ we see painted at the back of so many trucks. The other is brand Tata, that’s so closely linked to the story of Modern India. Jamshedji Tata, JRD Tata, and Ratan Tata - created a world class chain companies - Steel, Trucks, Hotels, Software, Tea, Watches, Jewelry - they make it all. And when they acquired Jaguar and Land Rover, we Indians felt super-proud, didn’t we?
#52 Dhaniya Mirchi Free
Bhaiya dhaniya, mirchi dena mat bhoolna. Any Indian housewife would relate to this. It’s the standard Indian practice after buying your regular supply of vegetables. Something ‘free’ thrown into any deal - we love it. Even if it’s free dhaniya and mirchi. It happens only in India!
#53 Kama Sutra
Though its stereotype-ing that we don’t like to encourage - people in foreign lands regularly associate a few things with India – snake charmers, elephants, Bollywood, Taj Mahal, chicken tikka masala, and Kama Sutra.
Well, we did give the world its magnum opus on love making, and we are mighty proud of that. Try and take that away, Porn Ban.
#54 Mother of All Rivers
We live by her banks, we dip into her to cleanse ourselves, we believe her waters can heal, we choose her even in death. The mighty Ganga is India. Now, if we could just return the favor and keep her Swachch!
#55 Auto Mode
India’s notorious, iconic three-wheeled chariot. Can cram in many more than the stipulated three passengers. Survivors in India’s crazy traffic, zig-zagging, changing lanes ‘cos its baap ki sadak! They find every pot-hole on the way, they find the ‘longest’ way home. And, their meters run faster than Usain Bolt!
#56 Movers and Shakers
Whether it is at a wedding, or when no one’s watching, Indians love to dance. And we owe it entirely to Bollywood.
Dharam Paa-ji’s ‘Main Jat Yamla’ dance, Big B’s signature step, Salman Khan’s quirky ‘Towel Dance’ (and others), Hrithik Roshan’s ‘Traffic Moves’, Mithun-Da’s Disco Dancer steps, Prabhu Deva’s break-dancing, and the latest stuff from ABCD - we copy them all isn’t it?
Get up and dance already!
Graphics done by Lijumol Joseph and Aaqib Raza Khan.
Click here to read all the 69 things that make us #HappyInIndia
Read Here:
#HappyInIndia: Bollywood, Tendulkar, Rajini - Making India Happy
#HappyInIndia: Isabgol, Madhubala, Galli Cricket - Make us Happy
#HappyInIndia: Bindi, Santa Banta, Sunny Leone, Make Us Happy
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)